Joanna Rowsell was nine years old when her hair started to fall out and within two years she was almost completely bald due to alopecia areata.
Since then the 23 year old from Cheam, Surrey has lost and regained her hair three times, but her success on the cycling track has given her the confidence to face her condition and now she hopes her Olympic gold medal and world record will help other sufferers to do the same.
As part of Super Saturday's spectacular medal haul, Joanna and her teammates Laura Trott and Dani King beat the United States in the 3,000m pursuit final to take home the gold medal in front of an ecstatic velodrome crowd. Speaking to Daybreak about the experience this morning she said: 'I've always had the opinion that you only live once, I'm not going to let having alopecia hold me back.'

Bijou, have you been able to see any of the games or are you close enough to the events that it has caused you any problems getting to and from your home?

Congrats to the UK on their sterling performances in so many events.

bijou

08-07-2012, 03:04 AM

Bijou, have you been able to see any of the games or are you close enough to the events that it has caused you any problems getting to and from your home?

Congrats to the UK on their sterling performances in so many events. I have been glued to the tv, tickets are really tough to get. I managed to get some basketball tickets for later this week and will keep on trying. Amazingly although we were warned travel might be a problem, it hasn't been so far. It's all great fun.